Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self-Sacrifice is Unjust and Destructive” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self-Sacrifice is Unjust and Destructive

Peter Schwartz (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 175 ratings · 33 reviews

From childhood, we’re taught one central, non-controversial idea about morality: self-sacrifice is a virtue. It is universally accepted that serving the needs of others, rather than our own, is the essence of morality. To be ethical—it is believed—is to be altruistic. Questioning this belief is regarded as tantamount to questioning the self-evident.

Here, Peter Schwartz From childhood, we’re taught one central, non-controversial idea about morality: self-sacrifice is a virtue. It is universally accepted that serving the needs of others, rather than our own, is the essence of morality. To be ethical—it is believed—is to be altruistic. Questioning this belief is regarded as tantamount to questioning the self-evident.

Here, Peter Schwartz questions it.

In Defense of Selfishness refutes widespread misconceptions about the meaning of selfishness and of altruism. Basing his arguments on Ayn Rand’s ethics of rational self-interest, Schwartz demonstrates that genuine selfishness is not exemplified by the brutal plundering of an Attila the Hun or the conniving duplicity of a Bernard Madoff. To the contrary, such people are acting against their actual, long-range interests.

The truly selfish individual is committed to moral principles and lives an honest, productive, self-respecting life. He does not feed parasitically off other people. Instead, he renounces the unearned, and deals with others—in both the material and spiritual realms—by offering value for value, to mutual benefit.

The selfish individual, Schwartz maintains, lives by reason, not force. He lives by production and trade, not by theft and fraud. He disavows the mindlessness of the do-whatever-you-feel-like emotionalist, and upholds rationality as his primary virtue. He takes pride in his achievements, and does not sacrifice himself to others—nor does he sacrifice others to himself.

According to the code of altruism, however, you must embrace self-sacrifice. You must subordinate yourself to others. Altruism calls, not for cooperation and benevolence, but for servitude. It demands that you surrender your interests to the needs of others, that you regard serving others as the moral justification of your existence, that you be willing to suffer so that a non-you might benefit. To this, Schwartz asks simply: Why? Why should the fact that you have achieved any success make you indebted to those who haven’t? Why does the fact that someone needs your money create a moral entitlement to it, while the fact that you’ve earned it, doesn’t?

Using vivid, real-life examples, In Defense of Selfishness illustrates the iniquity of requiring one man to serve the needs of another. This provocative book challenges readers to re-examine the standard by which they decide what is morally right or wrong. ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published June 2nd 2015 by St. Martin's Press

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about In Defense of Selfishness, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.89 ·

Rating details

· 175 ratings · 33 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self-Sacrifice is Unjust and Destructive

Apr 28, 2015 Maggie rated it it was amazing

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The information in this fascinating book is so at odds with what I’ve been taught over the course of my life...but it makes so much sense that it has my head spinning. Could it really be that my own “selfish needs” and motivations regarding my hard-earned resources are not a moral weakness but a necessary strength?!? I must confess that Schwartz’s arguments ring true somewhere deep inside my soul. While I am not yet ready to take a I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

The information in this fascinating book is so at odds with what I’ve been taught over the course of my life...but it makes so much sense that it has my head spinning. Could it really be that my own “selfish needs” and motivations regarding my hard-earned resources are not a moral weakness but a necessary strength?!? I must confess that Schwartz’s arguments ring true somewhere deep inside my soul. While I am not yet ready to take a stand one way or the other, I found this to be an enlightening and thought-provoking read that encouraged me to consider an alternative approach to a topic that I didn’t even know needed considering. It is written simply and clearly with numerous illustrations and examples, making it easily understandable and enjoyable for any reader. While it is a book on philosophy, I found it to be as entertaining as any piece of best-selling fiction.
The underlying assumption of the book is that the widely-held philosophy (that altruism underlies all moral virtues and is necessary for the function of civil society) is considered by most to be the very foundation of society’s “code of ethics”. While it is true that societies without an agreed upon “code of ethics” quickly destroy themselves and disintegrate, Peter Schwartz argues that altruism is not foundational nor is it a necessary factor in the success of a functional society. According to Schwartz, altruism is in fact destructive and unjust and ultimately unethical. He argues that altruism is indeed an impediment and that the cause of society’s problems can be attributed not to the absence of altruism but to its overwhelming presence. If this sounds abominable to you, then you MUST read this book. Schwartz explains his premises much more effectively than I am able to relate them.
The author’s thesis and arguments are based on Ayn Rand’s philosophical constructs and her “ethics of rational self-interest” (as stated in the Introduction). Fans of Rand’s work will be especially interested in reading this book.
...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Apr 26, 2015 Cathy rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

I won an ARC of this book through Goodreads. A very thought provoking book on the battle between selfishness and altruism. I closed the book with the goal to be more selfish - its ok to be selfish, we all should be! I definitely would recommend this book .

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2015 Ron Housley rated it really liked it

In Defense of Self-Interest — why the code of self-sacrifice is unjust and destructive 2015 by Peter Schwartz (Palgrave Macmillan)

A short BOOK REPORT by Ron Housley

For many, many years a barrage of non-stop warnings about altruism has bombarded my awareness.

What Peter Schwartz has done here is to cobble together in one place a diverse assortment of examples and instances of altruism run amok; a description of how altruism is misapprehended by most; an outline of the thinking which should have In Defense of Self-Interest — why the code of self-sacrifice is unjust and destructive ©2015 by Peter Schwartz (Palgrave Macmillan)

A short BOOK REPORT by Ron Housley

For many, many years a barrage of non-stop warnings about altruism has bombarded my awareness.

What Peter Schwartz has done here is to cobble together in one place a diverse assortment of examples and instances of altruism run amok; a description of how altruism is misapprehended by most; an outline of the thinking which should have unseated altruism from its pedestal ever so long ago.

Somewhere along the way, I heard someone (AR?) say that today’s culture is an “orgy of altruism.” And we see evidence of that every single day, both in the New York Times and on Fox News. But no reporter ever bothers to say explicitly: “here is yet another story that illustrates the destructive effect of altruism upon us all.”

Altruism plays itself out on the public stage incessantly — but nobody stops to point it out: not the pundits; not the real journalists; not the professors; not the politicians; not anybody. It is the elephant in the room, day in and day out.

Without our widespread cultural acceptance of altruism, we would never have had to endure Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama making the collectivist claim that “you didn’t build that.” Their mantra is pure altruism, and flies in the face of common sense; and contradicts everything we know about how we each function in society. But I haven’t heard where anyone from the New York Times has ever tried to set the record straight.

Few take seriously the question of “self-interest vs. altruism.” What happens with this question is exactly the same as what happens daily in the MainStreet Media: the ideas which should be highlighted are entirely ignored and evaded — and in their place we get stories whose purpose is to fortify public opinion in favor of the welfare state. Welfare state scandals are ignored; undermining of American foreign policy is ignored; voter fraud is down-played and ignored; destruction of the dollar is ignored; the dumbing down of America is ignored. What we hear, instead, is how nice it is that those “in need” are being taken care of with handouts and racial preferences, and how it would be mean to reverse our march into full statism. We are so dumbed down.

This whole idea that how we look at “self-interest v. altruism” makes a huge difference in how our lives can play out — that entire question is never given the light of day by our teachers nor by our politicians nor journalists. Virtually nobody will consider that it is a serious issue. If it ever is to be discussed, it is treated like a parlor game, not as if our lives depended on the right answer. We are so dumbed down.

So, Peter Schwartz at least tries to lay it out; but most Americans remain stuck — blocked from being able to see that there is even an important issue here. Altruism has won the day culturally for them; and the resultant welfare-state continues to expand — as if all objections are just right-wing noise, rather than serious warnings about our actual futures; as if our fundamental happiness were really not at risk. We are so dumbed down.

If you’re looking for insight about why every single news story reflects deeper cultural breakdown, Peter Schwartz’s book can help you to grasp what’s going on. That’s the first step! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 27, 2015 Mason rated it did not like it

Shelves: first-reads

To keep this review short, I won’t get into the myriad political opinions “In Defense of Selfishness” champions. I agreed with some, disagreed with others and could go on long enough about them to write a book of my own. It would be much shorter than this one was, however.

One of my biggest problems with this book was the length and repetition of almost everything. It had that feel to me of a college kid that’s trying to make his paper long enough to meet the teacher’s requirements and he’s just ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2015 Henry rated it it was amazing

For anyone who looks at today’s world and wonders why western civilization seems to be under attack from every direction and is utterly unable to defend itself, this book is for you. Read it and judge for yourself whether what it says about selfishness (or rational self-interest) and altruism is true. For whatever reason, you may reject what it has to say, but at least you will understand that the sacrifices you are being asked to make every day, and are making, that they are willingly accepted ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2015 Naftoli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015

As a libertarian, this book did not need to convince me though it certainly gave me a stronger philosophical foundation for my belief in liberty and the relentless message of altruism that pervades our society. This is the kind of book that needed to be assigned in college, but my professors inundated me with those thinkers that advocated for collectivism.

For the uninitiated, this book positively calls into question the dominant, status-quo philosophy of our time, that which leads us down the ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2015 Joy rated it really liked it

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

Very thought-provoking, eye opening book, that i will review more fully in a few days.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 11, 2015 R. rated it liked it

When I set out to review "In Defense of Selfishness" by Peter Schwartz, I had intended to comment only on the writing itself and leave the battle over the content itself to those willing to publicly battle with others whom have different viewpoints and no hope of one convincing the other to change his or her views. That decision proved untenable, it was akin to writing a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" article in the local paper and limiting the article only to the newly built house while ignoring When I set out to review "In Defense of Selfishness" by Peter Schwartz, I had intended to comment only on the writing itself and leave the battle over the content itself to those willing to publicly battle with others whom have different viewpoints and no hope of one convincing the other to change his or her views. That decision proved untenable, it was akin to writing a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" article in the local paper and limiting the article only to the newly built house while ignoring the residents now living within.

Schwartz's book is something of a dilemma. Ours is a time and a country in the midst of historic transformation, and frankly, it seems as though our leadership is flailing about in the darkness seeking a new direction. Schwartz could have provided some meaningful illumination had he written a book that speaks to the generations in ascendancy, those who most need this book. Instead, Schwartz turns out a work that is problematic several levels. This book reminds me of the Philosophy 101 textbooks from my undergraduate days. Claiming to value principle over popularity, the book lacks practicality. Although Schwartz claims to provide relevant examples and social references, most of the reference that Schwartz relies on are the most extreme and absurd examples in which holes are easily poked without necessarily proving the point Schwartz intends. Of concern, Schwartz writes as though living in a highly romanticized version of 1950's era Republican America. The onslaught of technological advancement an the expansion of scientific advancement alone produces metaphorical eye-rolling when trying to apply Schwartz's writing to current scenarios.

"In Defense of Selfishness" could have been a turning point for younger voters, many of whom who have come of age in a post 9/11 malaise of personal freedom and economic paralysis and don't understand the factors that drive personal freedom, economic growth and security. Instead, the book is akin to 200 pages of transcript from the Rush Limbaugh show; it inspires and placates the true believer, but does nothing to advance the cause for those who might bristle and immediately turn away from Schwartz's positions, Weighted down by its own self-indulgence, "In Defense of Selfishness" collapses in on itself and fails to reach the readers who probably need it most.

The publisher provided a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 02, 2015 Frederick Ford rated it it was amazing

I am an Objectivist, so I am very acquainted with the material. I live my life according to Objectivist principles.

I thoroughly enjoyed Peter's book. It is well written, and it was a pleasure to read. I know that I will read it again from time to time. I highly recommend it.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2018 Muhammad Karuniyado rated it it was amazing

This book explained, clearly and logically, the very reason why being selfish is inherently different than what most people thought or what the common definition is. Partially caused by people are convinced the key of "being alive" is being altruistic and partially by how altruists abused the word 'selfish'.

Aside from re-defining the impure word 'selfish', Schwartz progress with real-life cases of the "have-nots" wanting the "haves" to be obligated (or feel obligated) to aid them. Even to the ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 06, 2019 Steven added it · review of another edition

I think Peter Schwartz does a comparatively poor job of playing "hide the ball" with the issues that Objectivism has.

He also -to reference the famous meme- hasn't read Locke. Read Locke. After you do that, explain why it doesn't make sense for an anti-theist to cite Locke as the basis for the idea that property rights should be seen as legitimate.

This is the quality of the author's thinking. You don't have to go on, so I won't.

flag Like · see review

Nov 07, 2019 Jim rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019

A vehement argument against true altruistic behaviors. While the book makes some great points it is done in such a one sided argument that the author argues against compromise and equilibrium which of course has to be done on a daily basis. While I don't agree with all of the points in the book it is well written.

flag Like · see review

Sep 23, 2019 Daryl Vogel rated it really liked it

While a lot of ground here is already covered in Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishnes," Schwartz does a really good job of breathing new life into Rand's concepts while providing modern day examples/analogies and exposing these ideas to a new audience.

flag Like · see review

Sep 04, 2017 Leo rated it it was ok

Even though I do agree with the premise, the author builds a weak argument followed by some very marginal examples. It's probably not worth your time.

flag Like · see review

May 06, 2019 Kevin Conti rated it it was ok

Wasn't that profound of a book, it seems to be a book that validates those who agree with its core premise and angers those who don't. It won't teach you anything you don't already believe.

flag Like · see review

Oct 23, 2015 Glen Stott rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Glen by: Naftoli

Shelves: politics

This book compares and weighs the value of altruism vs selfishness making the argument that altruism is a non-survival action while selfishness is better for the individual and society as a whole. Much of the argument depends upon definitions of the words. In simple terms, altruism could be described as caring for other people and acting upon that concern. Schwartz would call that generosity, which is a gift freely given. However, the common definition of altruism is: The belief in or practice This book compares and weighs the value of altruism vs selfishness making the argument that altruism is a non-survival action while selfishness is better for the individual and society as a whole. Much of the argument depends upon definitions of the words. In simple terms, altruism could be described as caring for other people and acting upon that concern. Schwartz would call that generosity, which is a gift freely given. However, the common definition of altruism is: The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of another. Inherent in this definition is the idea that when the ultraistic person gives something, it is something that is of value to the giver, and the giver gets nothing in return – it is a true sacrifice. Often the argument for altruism is that the giver gets unexpected benefits of good health, economic advantages, basically a “helper’s high.” Of course, this flies in the face of the definition that the altruist gets nothing in return.

Selfishness is usually defined as being devoted to only oneself and one’s welfare regardless of others. Supposedly, this is the exact opposite of altruism. However, if a person acts on behalf of others because it makes the giver feel good (therefore a selfish act) – well, I think you can see the contradiction.

So now we step into the political arena, which is what Schwartz is talking about. There is a progressive notion that true altruism requires that the giver must give to the needy as a sacrifice and a duty that is due to the needy who is entitled. The argument claims that Christianity is based upon the altruist command that the rich must give to the needy with no recompense. This is patently untrue. Christ promised the Kingdom of Heaven to those who followed his command – hardly a sacrifice if one believes Christ’s words. Rather than ultraism, giving to the poor is a test of faith in the promise of Heaven – a selfish motive.

So then the government gets involved. Progressives use laws to impose ultraism on the rich by forcibly taking their wealth with no recompense in order to “redistribute” it. They excuse this act of armed robbery by making the false assertion that the rich owe a debt to the poor, as if somehow, the poor were harmed by the rich or that the rich got rich by taking what belonged to the poor, thereby making them poor and creating a debt.

In a free market, getting rich is a reward for ingenuity and/or hard work. It requires the production of goods or services that free people would be willing to exchange some of their wealth to get. Requiring fair payment is selfish; however, it creates something of value for both parties. When societies consist of selfish people busily producing goods and services to meet their selfish needs through free market trading, the amount of goods and services available grows and the society benefits from free exchange. The rich person has no debt to others who have not been as productive.

In all societies there will people who contrive to get wealth through deceit, force, or other methods without producing anything for which others would willingly trade. Those people should have the wealth they fraudulently accumulated taken from them. That is the duty of government. However, forced ultraism, as defined by progressives, is not only unethical, but it cripples the free market and reduces wealth creation.
...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 07, 2017 Nancy rated it really liked it

The author of this book is a huge advocate of Ayn Rand's philosophies ("Ohhh, one of those people," you think to yourself), so if you're not a fan of Objectivism, you probably won't enjoy this book. As someone who believes in the virtue of selfishness (not the bastardized version we've come to associate with it) - the unwavering belief that in a free society, rational thought and self-interest should dictate our actions, I agreed with much of this book. Being self-interested does not mean that ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 02, 2015 Steve rated it really liked it

I am familiar with Schwartz's other work, so knew what to expect, and that I would agree with it. My only concern is that it might simply be a rehash of things I'd already heard before. But that wasn't the case. Some elements of the book have appeared in Schwartz's other work but this book puts things together in a new way.

In this book, his approach to the topic is different from Rand's "Virtue of Selfishness" (which lays out a similar view of altruism). Schwartz is primarily concerned with ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 28, 2015 Michelle Only Wants to Read rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction, audiobooks, read-2015, politics, sociology

I had a different idea about what this book would be about.
Even though the subject is interesting and the author makes some good observations, I have to admit this was not really my cup of tea.
According to his principles I'm a victim of altruism and I've been brainwashed to help others to the cost of my own benefit. I guess I have.
I suppose I live under the spell of a society who gives things to those in needs even if it means sacrificing our time, wealth, or resources.
My career field is ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 02, 2015 Erin Martin rated it it was ok

I read/listened to this at the same time as Huffington's Thrive. Both delve into the idea of altruism. The author of this book comes across as kind of a jerk BUT offers some interesting points, including how I'll look at how to measure/judge altruism going forward. He proposes we currently judge a "good doing" based on the sacrifice of the giver and not the end result, with some interesting examples. I also enjoyed and learned a lot from his observations of the FDA, and other government entities ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 03, 2015 Harry Mulin rated it it was amazing

Remarkable thesis that looks at the common moral spectrum of altruism vs selfishness (or Mother Theresa/Attila the Hun in Mr Schwartz's example) and asks "so where does an individual who lives his own life, takes care of his own children, and works to earn the means to pay for it all fit into the common spectrum?"

With many examples and a very clear progression explaining his conclusion, the book shows how most of us just don't fit. By explaining the true meaning of selfishness, Mr Schwartz ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 27, 2015 Darla rated it really liked it

i will admit i really enjoyed reading about to be taken care of is to be controlled and i agree with this chapter especially concerning the government as we are controlled no matter what aspects of our life and i do agree that life is a gife and take so that is about all i can really say about the book even though i thought it was going to read something else but at least we all have a choice as to how we write these reviews

flag Like · see review

Jan 05, 2016 Greg Clark rated it really liked it

About 3.5 stars. Nothing really new or ground breaking in here, mostly parroting John Galt's speech from nearly 60 years ago. Throughout most of the book I did find myself nodding in agreement. Some very lazy logic towards certain religions is always to be expected from objectivists. A decent read.

flag Like · see review

Oct 11, 2015 deleted d rated it really liked it

In defense of selfishness 4/5
Being selfish can help the environment
Very good, shows points to why u can make things worse with altruism and better with capitalism.
I'm still skeptic to some extent but I think it's thought provoking

flag Like · see review

Jun 22, 2015 Kevin Clark rated it did not like it

Couldnt even finish. A sad philosophy that sets up a view of altruism gone way extreme and then tears it down, using even biblical teachings as a negative argument. Mixing commom sense into a God-less philosophy doesnt make it right.

flag Like · see review

Jun 14, 2015 Bob rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag Like · see review

Aug 09, 2015 Alberto rated it liked it

Very interesting concepts, full of examples. altruism or entitlements are the cancer of our society. not an easy subject and a bit repetitve

flag Like · see review

Jan 05, 2016 Eyad rated it it was ok

Selfishness in a new perspective. I agree with some of the book's ideas but disagree with a lot of them. If you were a capitalist and a republican, you would really like this book.

flag Like · see review

Sep 06, 2015 Ellen rated it liked it

A good chunk of it reads like a rant, but I have to agree with some of his points.

flag Like · see review

Jun 21, 2015 Adrina rated it it was amazing

Excellent book, couldn't be more timely.

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Philosophy

21 users

Nonfiction

7 users

Politics

6 users

Politics > Political Science

2 users

See top shelves…

About Peter Schwartz

Peter Schwartz

17 followers

Peter Schwartz is the author of the book In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self-Sacrifice Is Unjust and Destructive (Palgrave Macmillan, June 2015).

He's a former Chairman of the Board, and currently a Distinguished Fellow, of the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, CA. He writes and lectures extensively on topics ranging from ethics and political philosophy to environmentalism and ...more